(Yicai) Sept. 26 -- The number of Chinese students enrolling for graduate studies climbed nearly 62 percent in the past six years, with several higher education institutions now hosting more postgraduates than undergraduates.

China admitted 1.3 million graduate students last year, up from 806,100 in 2017, according to data from the Ministry of Education. Doctoral students soared 83 percent to about 153,300, while master's degree students rose 59 percent to around 1.15 million.

Twenty-eight of China's double first-class universities -- those selected by the government for prioritized development -- have more postgraduates than undergraduates now.

Lanzhou University has been admitting more graduate than undergraduate students since 2019, with the total number of graduates exceeding that of undergraduates for the first time this year. At Fudan University and Zhejiang University, undergraduates now account for only 33 percent and 39 percent of the total, respectively.

The expansion of graduate programs is a natural consequence of the increasing demand for higher education talents, according to an analyst. However, increasing the number of programs while maintaining quality remains a critical challenge.

Building research-oriented universities must align with national strategic priorities and key social needs, Chu Zhaohui, a researcher at the National Institute of Education Sciences, told Yicai.

"To cultivate high-level innovative research talents and produce high-quality academicians, we must enhance the quality of education and research while refining evaluation systems for research universities and scientific projects," Chu noted.

Editor: Futura Costaglione